


Maybe It Was Memphis

by saddle_tramp



Series: Journey's End [4]
Category: X-Men Evolution
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-16
Updated: 2011-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-15 17:18:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddle_tramp/pseuds/saddle_tramp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rating:  R<br/>Pairing:  Logan/Remy</p><p>Summary:  Some things you just have to take a trip down memory lane for.</p><p>Warnings: As with all my X-Men fics, be aware my knowledge of the multiple canons is spotty, yadda, yadda, yadda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe It Was Memphis

 

An inconspicuous bit of 'graffiti' on the front door marked it as a mutant-friendly bar, but most non-mutants wouldn't have known what it meant if the symbol had been put in the front window in neon. Still, Logan's companion for the evening made him glad that the quiet bar was still a safe place for them to both relax. Remy wouldn't remove his sunglasses anywhere that wasn't mutant friendly, and Logan liked to see his eyes. They weren't as easy to read as some, but Logan had learned to recognize every flicker of emotion in them over the years since their first trip to Memphis.

Logan made his way through the crowd, nodding to the mutants he saw and smiling at the only one he actually recognized, though why Kitty was in Memphis was anyone's guess. Knowing her, there was probably some obscure group of guys that wore too much makeup in town for a gig that she just had to see. She had a thing for several groups that Jubilee laughingly called 'emo boys', and Jubilee and John both teased her about constantly. Kitty always had a fit when someone pointed out that the guys she so adored were too busy making out with each other on stage to ever notice her in the audience. Kitty insisted going to the concerts wasn't about wanting to get close to the boys she was so infatuated with, but no one really believed her. The life-sized poster in her room of one group often had smears of lip gloss on it, especially on the cheek of the shortest member of the band, and Kitty had hitched rides all over the country to see them since she turned eighteen and was allowed to have weekend passes.

Logan went straight through the crowded bar to his favorite booth in the back next to the jukebox, tossing his leather jacket into the booth and then taking a seat as he watched Remy sit down across form him. He was glad to see Remy was smiling and that the glasses were already gone. There were a couple of folks in the bar who were obviously mutants, including the bartender who was washing glasses with water that condensed out of thin air under his pale blue fingers, so Remy's eyes weren't likely to be noticed.

The waitress appeared like magic at Logan's elbow, a pretty older blonde who looked bright-eyed and cheerful as a girl half her age. "What'll it be, hun?"

Logan smiled at her and shifted to get a bit more comfortable in his seat. "Sal still cookin' back there?"

The waitress blinked in surprise, nodding. "Yeah, he's been here forever." She didn't recognize either of the men, but she knew they had to have been regulars at some point to know Sal. He had been the chef for over ten years, but he never left the kitchen because people stared at him. Mutants were welcome in the bar, and the bartender would douse anyone who caused trouble with water cold enough to give them hypothermia, but some things just couldn’t be changed. Sal's skin was neon green and a bit scaly like a lizard, and even other mutants stared at him more often than not.

Logan grinned. "I'll have whatever he's in the mood to make, darlin'. Tell him Logan says hi and he's hungry." He glanced at the bar, checking what was on tap for the night up on the chalkboard, and then added, "An' a Corona with double limes."

The waitress nodded, smiling as she jotted down the order, then looked at the lanky redhead in the other side of the booth. "How about you, sweetie?"

Remy gave her one of his most charming smiles. "De same for me, __an' pass along Remy's hello to de chef."

Logan snorted, amused. "Except he'll have a Dixie beer, an' no lime."

Remy perked up, looking over at Logan and then at the waitress. "You got Dixie now?"

The waitress laughed, nodding. "Sal's got a friend that brings up a few cases for him every week." She grinned impishly at Remy, adding, "But we don't put it on the menu, honey.  Only Sal's friends know they can ask for it." She winked at Remy and then turned away and headed for the door that led to the kitchen, giving a few familiar customers friendly grins on her way through the crowd.

Remy watched her go for a moment and then looked across the table at Logan, surprised to find Logan watching him with a smile. Remy smiled back, asking quietly, "What you thinkin' about, _mon ami_?"

Logan's smile grew a bit crooked and he reached for his leather jacket, going through the pockets as he replied, "Rememberin' the first time we came in here, when I forgot my cigars."

Remy chuckled, watching Logan's expression grow annoyed as he found his jacket pockets empty. "Y' don't smoke near so much anymore, _mon ami_ , but Remy still got your back." Logan looked at Remy in surprise just in time to see Remy reach into his duster to take out a cigar. He had tucked a few away in his pockets that morning because Logan never remembered to get more after he smoked the ones he carried. He offered it to Logan with a little smirk, nodding towards a sign at the back of their booth. "Remy would light it for you, but de sign make me t'ink dat folks not like dat too much."

Logan took the cigar, giving the no smoking sign a dirty look. "That's new." He bit the end off the cigar and spit it accurately into the spittoon by the jukebox, then stuck the cigar between his teeth as he added, "Thanks anyway, Cajun. Good thing I'm gettin' used to not lightin' up at the school. Seems like ever' where's got them damned signs these days."

Remy grinned and settled back in the booth, draping one arm along the back of his seat as he slid one foot across under the table to rest against Logan's and murmured, "Anytime, _cher_."

Logan's eyes narrowed slightly even though he was amused, but he didn't move his foot away. He might not like most people touching him, but Remy had been an exception to that for a long time, though the lanky redhead seldom took advantage of the fact. "Last I checked, I wasn't no lady."

Remy's grin widened into something just a bit wicked. "Remy noticed dat, _mon ami_ , he promise, an' dat cain't be nothin' but good in his book. His luck wit' de ladies be _merde_ de las' few years, dey been a waste a' his time."

Logan laughed, surprised, and he was glad that the waitress chose then to come back, since he wasn't sure what to say.

Remy had started flirting with him after he saw Kurt leaving Logan's room one morning before dawn, so Logan had been pretty sure the lanky Cajun was just trying to get a rise out of him. Remy had been flirting off and on ever since, of course, but Logan had never taken him seriously. Remy dated more women in a week than Logan had in the last five years, and he'd never seen Remy with a guy or heard him talk about one. Remy seemed to make it a policy never to date a girl more than twice, and his tastes ran the full gamut of feminine charms, from short and curvy to stick-thin super-model types as tall as Remy was.

Remy's ill-advised but extended crush on Rogue had been the only exception to the date'em-twice-and-never-call-again rule since Logan had known him. After Remy's one-sided love affair with Rogue ended badly, Remy hadn't even dated the same girls twice anymore, as if to make up for over a year of dating no one at all while he tried to convince Rogue that he loved her. Logan had never bothered to wonder if Remy was getting what he was looking for from the ladies he dated before _or_ after Rogue, though, sure that the sexy Cajun could talk a woman into just about anything. Well, any woman but Rogue, who begged for attention and attacked anyone who got close by turns because she just couldn't decide what she wanted, or how bad she wanted it.

"Here you go!" the waitress said cheerfully. "Sal said you'd need a pitcher, no matter what you ordered." She grinned at Logan as she put a mug of Corona in front of him and then followed it with a pitcher and a little saucer piled with lime slices.

"Thanks, darlin'." Logan smiled at her and began to squeeze a few slices of lime into his beer, sure that Sal was going to try to blow the top of his head off again. Last time it had been seven alarm chili over fries with a Thai chili and habanero rubbed steak that had been cooked just enough to say it was rare, and Sal had been very nonplussed when Logan walked in the back after his meal to get the recipes. Sal loved spicy food and had never run into anyone who could stand his spiciest recipes except Logan, who hadn't ever bothered to explain that his healing ability was what kept the peppers from frying his tongue to a cinder. He felt the heat, but the after-burn that would make normal people miserable was gone in seconds for Logan, letting him enjoy the flavor of even the hottest peppers with near impunity.

The waitress smiled warmly at Logan. "Anytime, hon. Any friend of Sal's is a friend of mine." She put a frosty mug of beer in front of Remy and followed it with a bottle of Dixie as she explained, "So you won't have to wait on me for a refill, hon."

" _Merci beaucoup_ ," Remy said with a wide smile. "Dat's real thoughtful of you."

"Not really," the waitress said cheerfully, "just saving myself a trip." She winked at Remy and then she added, "And Sal said to tell you it's about time you came in again, Remy.  He was starting to think you'd gotten yourself lost." She glanced at Logan, including him in the conversation as she grinned, adding, "He says he wants you both to come back after closing tonight so you three can catch up."

Logan looked questioningly over at Remy, who smirked. "You know me, _mon ami_. We can sleep when we dead."

Logan laughed and looked at the waitress. "When's his shift end these days?"

"Last call's at two," the waitress replied, beaming. "He's usually ready to go about then, unless he got too many orders just before closing."

"We'll be here," Logan said with a grin.

"I'll let him know, hon." The waitress beamed at them both and then turned to head towards the kitchen door again.

Logan looked over at Remy and had to grin at the way Remy was watching the lady go. He followed Remy's gaze to admire the lady's assets, which were pretty nice now that he bothered to notice, then reached for his beer as he glanced over at Remy again. Remy was smirking just a bit and watching him, dark eyes sparkling, and after he had taken a drink of his beer Logan chuckled.

"Say it, Cajun.  Y'know I can't read your mind."

Remy's smirk widened a bit and grew wicked again. "Remy just t'inkin' on how we might could pass de time 'til closing."

Logan's eyebrows rose. "Do share."

"Well, we got dat room at de hotel, an' nowhere else we gotta be…" Remy trailed off, still smirking.

"And?" Logan asked, a bit surprised and wanting Remy to say exactly what it was he had in mind. Logan had noticed Remy's lanky good looks the night he met him, but he'd never gone past that for the simple reason the kid was just seventeen then. Remy was an adult now though, and very capable of making his own decisions, so if he really did want to go down that road Logan wouldn't fight it too much. He had liked Remy more than he figured he should ever since he laid eyes on that skinny, frozen kid he had to practically drag in out of the snow.

"And... Remy be tired of flirtin' and waitin' on you t' make a move," Remy said quietly, still smirking and definitely amused. "If y' not in'trested just let Remy know an' he stop tryin' so hard."

Logan settled back in the booth, pleased at Remy's blunt honesty even though it hurt a bit to hear Remy would quit chasing him so easily. He knew Remy never gave up on something he really wanted, no matter who told him it was impossible. "Just like that, huh?"

"Remy not gonna lie, he'd be some unhappy about it an' likely t' act a fool, but he get over it someday." Remy shrugged, the smirk fading to a self-depreciatory smile Logan knew well as he said quietly, "Remy be used t' wantin’ dem dat don' want him."

"Well, I guess you better get un-used to it," Logan said, smiling slowly. "I ain't interested in havin' a one night stand with you an' then forgettin' about it, but if you're serious that's a whole different ballgame."

Remy blinked in surprise and then gave Logan a sweet, shy little smile. "Remy not playin' games wit' you, _cher_."

Logan hadn't seen that particular smile in a long time, but he had never stopped thinking it was beautiful and at the sight of it he relaxed as his expression shifted just a bit to something warmer and much more intimate. "Good to know." He reached for his beer again, taking a drink without ever looking away from Remy's eyes, then he put his mug down as he murmured, "Playin' games can be fun, but not if you're gonna change your mind later. I don't work that way, not with anyone who matters t' me." He left it unsaid that Remy was one of the few who did matter, since he knew he'd made that obvious already.

Remy's sweet little smile widened. "Soun' like maybe Remy'll jus' have t' make sure dat dis t'ing 'tween us don' end, den."

"Works for me," Logan agreed with a pleased grin, settling back in his seat again as the waitress arrived with their dinner. When she was gone again the conversation turned to other things, but Logan didn't miss the fact Remy made no effort to hide the warmth in his eyes anymore, and ' _cher_ ' had completely replaced ' _mon ami_ '.

 

~*~

 

Dinner passed the same way it always did when Logan and Remy were together at meals, their long friendship combining with good food, teasing gossip, and talk of whatever subjects came to mind so well that time seemed to fly by. They left the bar nearly two hours after they walked in, relaxed and cheerful even though they both knew that what happened next would change things between them, for good or ill. Their shoulders brushed as they walked towards Scott's new car, which Logan had borrowed without asking again, and Logan's smile widened as he remembered a very similar night that seemed a lifetime ago.

The first time they walked into the little bar named for a Charlie Daniels song together, it had been because the poster out front proudly proclaimed a jazz band was in residence for the weekend. Remy loved jazz and Logan knew it, so he had stopped at the next parking spot he found and they had walked back to the bar to have dinner and relax a while before they drove back out to their motel in a small town just to the south of Memphis. It was the day before the Memphis in May World Championship barbecue competition then, and Logan hadn't even bothered to look for a hotel closer to the action because he knew they would all be full.

Logan had visited Memphis and even been to Memphis in May quite a few times since then, but he had made the trips alone and left each time feeling like something had been missing. This year he had finally bitten the bullet and asked Remy if he wanted to go with him, since his weekend in Memphis with Remy was still one of his fondest memories of the city. He had felt a little guilty when he saw how pleased Remy was to be asked, and realized finally then that he should have asked Remy along on his other trips. Seeing Remy enjoy the city had made him enjoy it more their first time there together, and he kicked himself more than a little for being so dense and making them both miss out on that in the years since that first trip.

Logan wanted to make up for his stupidity, so instead of a weekend away from the school as he had originally intended, they were staying two weeks. They had driven down early enough they were even able to get a hotel room close to the riverfront, though they had to share a room with two queen-sized beds. It was the last room available within walking distance of Tom Lee Park, where the world's biggest barbecue would be, and they had both agreed that sharing a room would be no problem in exchange for being so close to the action.

They had just over a week to kill until the World Championship, though, and they had decided on the drive down to spend it doing whatever struck their fancy. There were two huge used book stores on their list of places to go while they were there, and a classic car show was in town that would give them something fun to do during their first weekend in town. After that they planned to just wander around and see the city, sure they'd find something that interested them both. They were sure to be spending time at the Dew Drop Inn eating more of Sal's incendiary cooking, and at least one night would likely be devoted to walking down Beale street until they heard music that drew them in, but the rest of their trip was wide open.

Or at least, that had been the plan until Remy got tired of flirting and made Logan an offer he couldn't resist. He was still wary of putting too much of himself on the line, afraid that the Cajun would change his mind in the morning, but he couldn't lie to Remy about the fact he wanted them to get a lot closer. Besides the fact Remy would have known, _Logan_ would have known, and he made it a policy not to lie to people he cared about, not even if they wanted him to.

"You sure t'inkin' awful hard," Remy murmured softly, surprising Logan abruptly out of his thoughts. "What got you so quiet an' serious, hmm? Havin' second t'oughts?" Remy didn't need to say what he meant. The fact they were headed back to the hotel to have sex had been the elephant in the room ever since Remy suggested going for a walk before they returned to the car.

"Nope," Logan said firmly, but he didn't look at Remy and the soft snort that got from the Cajun made him flush slightly. He stopped immediately and looked at Remy, feeling his face heat up more but wanting to let Remy see and feel the truth in his words as he said quietly, "There's no doubt in my mind what I want or how I feel. Hasn't been for a while now."

Remy smiled slightly and moved a little closer, lips twitching at the way Logan actually had to look up to meet his gaze. Logan seemed larger than life to Remy, he always had, but Remy had been taller since not long after they met. "Den what botherin' you, _cher_? Remy's righ' here, an' I been chasin' you long enough you oughta know I wan' dis, too."

Logan smiled crookedly, and something about the look in his eyes made Remy's heart clench as Logan murmured, "Yeah, now you do, but t'morrow?" Logan sighed and then admitted, "T'morrow scares me. I'd rather not know what I'm missin' if it's not gonna last."

Remy lifted his hand to touch Logan's cheek, surprised to feel Logan lean slightly into the touch as he murmured, " _Mon coeur appartient à vous, cheri_. No reason for fear, not for you or for Remy. Dis is right for us, meant t' be even, I t'ink."

Logan smiled, trying to ignore the urge to forget about talking and just kiss Remy as he teased, "If your heart is mine, I guess it's a good thing you've stolen mine t' take it's place, huh?"

Remy smirked. "De bad habits, dey die hard."

Logan chuckled and he stopped fighting himself, lifting his hands to tangle them in Remy's hair and pull him down for a kiss despite the fact they were standing on a public sidewalk in Tennessee. Remy responded warmly, tasting of Dixie beer and the raspberries and chocolate in the decadent dessert Sal had made for him, and Logan was caught off guard by the surge of need that went through him. The Wolverine that was never very deeply buried in his mind surged to life at the touch of Remy's lips on his, but for the first time in years it wasn't encouraging Logan to rend and kill. It felt hungry and possessive and filled his mind with ideas of exactly what he could do to Remy if he pushed him against the brick wall just a few feet away.

Logan might have indulged at least a few of those ideas – pinning Remy to the wall and kissing him until Remy's knees gave out seemed like a great idea in particular – but a sudden hoot from across the street broke the moment. Remy pulled back, flushing, and Logan let him as he looked over his shoulder towards whoever had hollered on the far side of the street.

A very drunk blonde kid in leather pants and a skin-tight muscle shirt that left his belly and arms bare standing in front of the bar around the street, watching them with a wide grin. "Kiss him again, honey!" he called then, swaying as he leaned against a much older man about twice his size that was dressed like a biker. "I was enjoying that almost as much as Red was!"

The man who was holding the kid up chuckled and called, "Don't mind my boy, he's had enough Jaeger to knock a bull to its knees. I'm takin' him home to sleep it off." He suited his actions to his words, picking the teenager up to throw the kid over his shoulder, and the blonde laughed happily, waving as he was carried away.

Logan turned back to Remy. "Do I wanna know if that was his kid or not?"

Remy chuckled softly and murmured, "Remy t'inkin' you din' notice de name of de club dey jus' left, _cher_."

Logan turned to look back across the street and then laughed, turning back to Remy. "Never mind. Comin' out of The Bear's Den, that kid ain't likely related to him."

"Well now, Remy don't know about dat," Remy said, smirking. "Dis is Tennessee."

"Oh yeah, now you're a comedian." Logan laughed and grabbed Remy's shoulder, giving him a gentle push to get him moving down the sidewalk. "Get movin'."

Remy snickered and let Logan push him along, grinning widely when Logan moved to walk next to him with one arm loosely around Remy's waist. Remy draped his arm around Logan's shoulders, pleased, and leaned a bit closer as he murmured, "Not afraid we gonna draw more attention, _cher_?"

Logan smirked at him, eyes sparkling. "Let 'em look. I've been stared at before."

Remy laughed and teased, "Remy sure dat's true, de way de Wolverine got a habit o' makin' a spectacle outta you, tearin' t'ings apart jus' cause dey dere."

"That's me, babe," Logan replied, amused. "Point me at somethin' to kill an' lemme go, an' I'm a happy camper."

Remy gave Logan a squeeze, pleased by the endearment even as he teased, "Y' cain' t'ink of nothin' else dat make y' happy?"

Logan smirked, his hand roaming down from Remy's hip to stroke over his ass familiarly. "Oh, I can think of a few, includin' a certain lanky Cajun that likes havin' his ego stroked."

Remy smirked and leaned closer to murmur into Logan's ear, "Remy like havin' _lots_ of t'ings stroked, _cher_ , but de ego not high on de list t'night."

Logan's hand tightened a bit on Remy's ass and he looked up into Remy's eyes as he smirked and growled softly, "I'll take care of the rest of you when we get to our room."

Remy kissed him quickly and then smirked. "Den what're we waitin' for?"

Remy pulled away and took off at a run towards the parking lot where they had left Scott's car, and Logan laughed as he followed him.

 

~*~

 

"Mmm," Remy purred, stretching slowly on the bed with his arms over his head, though he couldn't straighten them because of the headboard.

Logan was leaning against the headboard next to Remy with a beer and a cigar, watching with a smug little smirk as he admired the lean lines of Remy's body. He had seen enough skin when they played basketball to know there was a beautiful body under all the clothes Remy usually wore, but he hadn't realized until he finally saw Remy naked just how thin the lanky redhead was. He could easily count Remy's ribs from where he was, and Remy's hipbones were more prominent than Logan liked to see, despite the muscle that made it obvious Remy was tough and strong. Still, he made a mental note to encourage Remy to eat more of those decadent desserts he loved. Logan liked to see fewer ribs on anyone he was going to be sharing a bed with, and they had completely settled the fact that they weren't sleeping apart again any time soon.

"What'cha thinkin', _bien-aime_?" Remy murmured as he relaxed finally, amused at how smug Logan looked. He had plenty of reason to feel smug, of course – Remy hadn't gotten laid so thoroughly in a very long time, if ever – but Remy was still amused by the possessive look in Logan's eyes and the smug satisfaction he could feel from the other man if he opened his shields a bit.

Logan shifted his gaze to Remy's face. "That there ain't no good reason for you to be hidin' that body." He smirked a bit wider, adding teasingly, "Might be a good idea to eat more than one meal a day, though."

Remy laughed softly, blushing as he rolled towards Logan and settled comfortably with his chest against Logan's knee. He laid one arm on Logan's thigh and then propped his chin on his forearm as he murmured, "I get busy an' forget t' eat. You do de same t'ing, I know."

Logan smirked and shifted his beer to his other hand with his cigar so he could run his fingers through Remy's shaggy hair. "Yeah, but I make up for it when I do eat, babe. You don't."

Remy's eyelids lowered a bit as he enjoyed the feel of Logan's strong, callused fingers stroking his scalp. "It not somet'ing I do on purpose. I eat 'til de belly be full."

"Then you're gonna have to stop eatin' so much rabbit food, babe," Logan teased, enjoying the blissful look on Remy's face. He couldn't seem to stop touching Remy after keeping his hands to himself for so long, but Remy was soaking up the attention like a sponge so Logan figured he'd get to indulge in touching him a lot more often.

Remy chuckled, blinking slowly. "Cain' help what be left in de fridge when I got time t' eat."

Logan gave Remy's hair a gentle teasing tug, his eyebrows going up at the low noise Remy made. He smirked and purred, "Mmm, gotta remember you like that." He tugged Remy's hair a bit more firmly and Remy's eyes opened a bit wider to look up at him, hungry and definitely liking it. "An' if the fridge is gettin' low on real food y' just gotta walk to the meat locker out in the garage. There's always food in there, the professor makes sure of it." He left it unsaid why, since he knew Remy was well aware how short-tempered Logan could get if he didn't eat enough meat in his diet.

There was no way Remy had forgotten the week that Storm tried to make the whole school give up meat. Logan had gotten progressively more short-tempered until he finally lost it on the way out of the danger room one afternoon. He put Scott in the infirmary with a punch that would have dropped a charging bull, and when Storm tried to make him settle down he came pretty close to killing her. Jean had stopped Logan just before he gutted Storm, and she had locked him in a cell while the professor sent a few of the older kids out to pick up some real food for Logan. Logan had apologized the next day to Scott, who hadn't deserved a broken jaw just for snarking at him, but he hadn't ever apologized to Storm. He figured there was no reason for him to apologize for something she caused, and she had been sorry enough afterwards that he was pretty sure she felt the same.

"Remy not gon' take your food," Remy murmured, amused. "De Wolverine, he don' take kindly t' not havin' meat when he be cravin' it, an' he make y' do t'ings y'd rather not. I not gonna be de one t' make it happen again."

"There's plenty," Logan said, chuckling softly. "Storm makes sure of that.  She's finally gotten it through her thick skull that she can't turn a wolverine into a rabbit, an' tryin's bad for her health." Logan slid his fingers into Remy's hair again, and Remy had to smile at the soft look in Logan's eyes as he murmured, "Besides, even if there wasn't, I got a feelin' it'd turn out okay as long as the wolverine was doin' without so you'd eat better. It's decided you're special."

Remy's smile turned pleased. "For true?"

"Yep," Logan said, nodding. "It's liked you since I met you, but there's no doubt in my mind it's a hell of a lot more than like now."  He grinned and teased, "Though I dunno how you're gonna like havin' it feelin' so possessive. It's decided you belong to it."

Remy thought about that a moment before he asked softly, "And you, _bien-aime_?"

Logan's blue eyes grew warm and gentle again and Remy smiled, relaxing as Logan murmured, "You don't have to doubt me, Remy." He combed his fingers through Remy's hair, looking into Remy’s dark red eyes. "I prob'ly won't say how much I care 'bout you near often enough, but I'm hopin' you won't mind since you can feel it for yourself. Anytime you're wonderin' how I feel, babe, just reach out an' you'll know. Try it."

Remy obediently lowered his shields just enough to let him feel the emotions Logan was feeling, and he closed his eyes with a soft blissful sound as he felt the calm strength of the love Logan felt for him. There were no doubts mingled into Logan's feelings, no reservations, just a deep love that felt so rock-solid to Remy that it erased all of his doubts and made his heart clench in his chest. No one had ever loved him like that, and the utter certainty of Logan's feelings left him awed and vowing silently to himself to spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of that love.

"Cat got your tongue?" Logan asked softly after a few minutes, smiling.

"Jus' baskin' in de love you offer so free," Remy whispered as he finally opened his eyes again, giving Logan a sweet little smile. "Remy luckier dan he deserve."

"Not possible, babe," Logan disagreed, smiling wider. He reached over to put his beer on the bedside table, and then he ground out his cigar in the ash tray and left it there. He turned back towards Remy, one hand going to his chest to push Remy onto his back as Logan moved down the bed and then over him to give Remy a wicked little smirk. "'Specially not when I'm feelin' pretty damn lucky myself tonight." He leaned down to kiss Remy, sucking gently on Remy's full lower lip, then he growled softly, "An' we've got another hour to kill before we gotta get dressed…"

Remy chuckled soft and low, running his hands along Logan's sides as he spread his legs, letting Logan settle even closer as he purred, "Den we better get down t' business, amour. Dat not much time."

"Time enough." Logan smirked as he leaned down to kiss Remy again, growling softly when Remy's short fingernails dug into his back as Remy tried to pull him closer. Logan was about as close as he could get without putting more weight than he wanted to on Remy's chest, so he rolled them over, chuckling slightly at Remy's surprised squeak.

Remy pulled away enough to look down at him. "What y' do dat for?"

Logan smirked, running his hands along Remy's thighs and up his sides. "So I can use my hands, babe. Admantium's heavy, an' besides, I wanna watch you."

Remy blinked, blushing slightly at the thought of Logan just laying back and watching him while they had sex, and then Logan's hands slid around to squeeze his ass and he purred as he decided he liked the idea. "Don' ever let it be said Remy don' know how t' ride, _bien-aime_." He leaned forward, hips flexing to grind down against Logan's as his fingers tangled in the hair on Logan's chest, tugging just enough to make it interesting as he lightly bit Logan's lower lip.

Logan growled and any teasing reply he might have intended to make was forgotten as he slid his hands up Remy's back to pull him closer, devouring Remy's mouth like he was starving.

 

~*~

 

The Dew Drop Inn was already closed when they got there, but a glance in the window showed that the waitress from earlier was sitting at the bar talking to the bartender. Logan tapped on the window and waved, and she let them in a moment later, grinning at them.

"Come on in, boys," she said brightly, beaming at Logan and Remy equally. "Sal's making himself a bite to eat, but he said to go on back when you got here. He's going to lock up when you three leave."

The bartender flicked off the lights by the kitchen door and then leapt over the bar lightly, walking over to them with a liquid grace that seemed to go with his mutant ability of summoning water from the air. He smiled to them and nodded, then turned his attention to the waitress, offering her his hand as he said, "C'mon, darlin'. The restaurant'll close before long." He had a strong Texas accent, which really didn't seem to fit with the way he was dressed all in black leather, or the multiple piercings visible in his pale blue-tinted skin.

The waitress took his hand, beaming at him. "Alright, baby."  She gave Logan and Remy a bright smile. "Night, boys."

"Night," the bartender echoed, smiling at them briefly. "Sal's got the keys, so lock it behind us."

"Sure thing," Logan replied, amused as he watched the bartender towing the much older waitress out the door. "G'night."

"Enjoy de meal," Remy added with a smile, and then the door swung shut and they were gone. Remy looked at Logan, smiling, then murmured, "Dey mus' trust us more dan a little, _cheri_."

Logan locked the door and then put one hand on Remy's back to give him a push towards the kitchen through the darkened bar, smirking. "Sal trusts us, an' I'm thinkin' those two do whatever Sal tells 'em to, since it's his place."

Remy laughed, moving towards the kitchen and very conscious of Logan's hand staying on the small of his back rather possessively. "He bought out de boss?"

"Couple years ago," Logan said, glancing at Remy in amusement.

Remy grinned. "Den we not gonna get him in trouble if we talk de night away."

"Nope!" Logan agreed cheerfully, pushing the kitchen door open with his free hand and then making a face at the wave of heat that came out the door.

Sal was standing at the island where Logan knew Sal did most of his prepwork, a knife in one hand as he put a handful of peppers from a bin under the island onto the butcher block. The fluorescent lighting in the kitchen made his usually leaf-green skin look almost neon bright, and the vivid black lines of intricate tribal tattoos stood out sharply against the delicate green of Sal's skin, which shimmered in places with a hint of scales. He was wearing jeans and a black tank top that clung to every inch of his lean torso, a knit cap covering his bald head as if he were cold despite how hot it was in the kitchen. Logan knew that he likely was cold even though Sal was wearing just a tank top, and he wasn't surprised that a glance told him every burner was lit despite the fact only one was being used. Sal shared a lot of traits with the salamander he had taken the name of, including a tendency towards being cold-blooded, so wearing extra clothing didn't really help him stay warm. That made working in a kitchen the perfect job for him, since most kitchens – especially in the South – were hot as Hades when they got busy, and temperatures that would make most chefs miserable just made Sal move a little faster.

"I can't get in trouble," Sal pointed out smugly, his Tennessee accent faint but definitely there. He didn't even bother to glance at them a he started chopping the tiny peppers into red, yellow, and orange confetti. "You two might though, you go walkin' in Memphis after you just rolled outta bed."

Logan snickered and took a seat on one of the barstools that were lined up along the side of the island away from the stove. "How we smell don't count, Sal. Normal folks can't smell much of anything, an' any mutant with a decent nose'd know I'm not just another human."

Logan's scent had always been one of the things that set him apart from other mutants, a curious blend of human and something that reminded most who caught his scent of wolf even though Logan knew he didn't smell like a wolf either. Few people anymore had been close to a wolf unless it was in a zoo, but Logan had been far out in the backcountry where wolves lived that hadn't ever even seen a man before and he knew what the real thing smelled like. Whatever part of him was animal, it smelled like a caged beast and it had never _felt_ like a wolf to Logan. Wolves were a lot easier to get along with than that part of him that so often got him to do things he regretted later. The nasty, vengeful temperament of a wolverine fit the beast in him a lot better than a wolf did, which made sense of the fact he had been called Wolverine as long as he could remember.

Remy sat on one of the other barstools, blushing and embarrassed that he had forgotten about Sal's nose, which rivaled Logan's for sensitivity. He had suggested a shower before they left, but it hadn't happened because Logan started teasing him about how good he smelled and then they got sidetracked. By the time they came up for air, they didn't have time to shower because it was already well past the time they were supposed to be at the bar. They had dressed and made it as far as the parking lot on the corner before they got distracted _again_ , which made them very late indeed.

Sal glanced over at Remy, his slightly tilted amber eyes sparkling with mischief, then looked at Logan as he teased, "So you finally scraped up the guts to say somethin', fur-face?"

Logan snickered, reaching into his jacket for his half-smoked cigar. "Nah, I meant what I said."

Sal snorted, grinning a bit as he brushed the pepper confetti into the pale green palm of one slightly webbed hand. Logan had admitted to him years ago that he had feelings for Remy, but he had also said that he would never tell Remy because he was sure that his feelings weren't returned. Sal had figured then that Remy fell for Logan even before the kid followed his oldest friend into the kitchen one night, but he hadn't bothered to try and convince Logan of that. He knew Logan just didn't believe he could be that lucky.

Sal looked up at Remy when he had all the peppers, half-asking, "You went after him, huh kid?"

Remy felt his face heat up a bit more even as he nodded, smiling crookedly. Sal was one of the few people that could call him kid without offending him. Remy had _been_ a kid when they met, after all, and all he knew about Sal's age was that Logan said he was a lot older than he looked. Compared to Sal, Remy might well still be a kid. "Remy get tired of flirtin' an' gettin' nowhere fas', so yeah. He t'row de idea on de table."

"Literally, just about," Logan added, giving Remy an amused look. He looked back at Sal, saving Remy some explaining as he added pointedly, "A few hours ago."

"Ah, gotcha," Sal said, nodding with a wide grin. "Still very new and don't poke it too much." He turned towards the stove and took the lid off of the small pot, sending up a cloud of steam and the strong scent of a very spicy gumbo. He added the handful of peppers and then put the lid back on, turning back towards them. He leaned casually against the stainless steel counter by the stove, seeming oblivious to the fact there were lit burners flaming merrily within inches of his hip. "I'm surprised you two even made it back here tonight."

"Yeah, well, we'll only be in Memphis a week or so that we can see you, buddy, but Remy ain't goin' nowhere without me. We'll find time to make up for it." Logan glanced over and smirked at Remy, offering his cigar to Remy with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

Remy blushed slightly and laughed, remembering how Logan lost his lighter. It was in Scott's car somewhere, or at least they hoped it was, but it was too dark to find it and they hadn't had time to look anyway. Remy counted himself lucky he had found his shirt, which had somehow ended up on the hood of a car parked nearby. Remy didn't even remember the car window being open, and he knew it had been closed when they started looking for the shirt, but he was pretty sure the shirt didn't move onto the other car on its own. One of them must have leaned against the window controls while they were otherwise occupied, but he had no clue which of them it might have been. He didn't even remember who took off his shirt.

Remy recovered quickly from his embarrassment, though, and he reached out to charge the tip of the cigar, which flared to light with a tiny puff of smoke as he looked over at Sal and said, "An' four time in as many hour be plenty. Logan, he be gettin' old t' try fo' five."

"Old?!" Logan exclaimed, laughing. "Why you little—"

Remy grinned at Logan. "You wasn't callin' me _petit_ earlier, _cheri_."

Sal snickered. "Scott's gonna have a _cow_ when you two go back."

Logan looked at Remy a moment longer and then snorted, looking over at Sal with a grin. "Scott's already havin' a cow, I bet."

"You called and told him?" Sal asked, grinning.

"Nope!" Logan said cheerfully, smirking as he puffed his cigar once and then bit the end of it and held it in his teeth as he went on. "Stole his new car."

Remy snickered, adding, "An' Logan _might_ be de one what was drivin' de old one when it got total las' month."

Sal cackled. "I love it!" He turned back to the stove, still snickering as he moved his gumbo off the stove to a trivet nearby. He moved back to the oven and opened it, then took a shallow baking pan covered with foil and another small pot out with his bare hands. He barely seemed to notice the heat of the pan or the pot, despite the steam that rose from both as he carried them to the island. "Scott needs someone to tweak his tail, the prissy ass." His tone was fond despite his words, and Logan snickered, nodding.

"Yeah, I figure the same way," Logan agreed, leaning to look into the pot. "That smells pretty good, Sal."

Remy nodded quickly, smiling as he inhaled the scent of one of his favorite meals. "Bes' chicken an' dumplin's Remy ever smell, even."

Sal beamed at Logan and Remy. "Thanks! One of the regulars loves it, so I make it for her once a week or so. You two want to help finish it off?"

Remy grinned. "Do a wild bear shit in de woods?"

Sal laughed and moved to get bowls and spoons, teasing, "You've been around Logan too long, you're starting to sound like him."

"Eh, Remy could do worse," Remy said, grinning. "But if he start growin' de whisker to his chin, y' got Remy's permission t' shave him bald."

Sal snickered, returning with the bowls as he teased, "You or him?"

Remy grinned. "Dat be up to you, _mon ami_."

Logan snorted, but he couldn't help being amused. "Him, Sal. You come after me with clippers an' you'll be the one gettin' shaved."

"As threats go, that's pretty lame." Sal filled two bowls of chicken and dumplings and then set them in front of Logan and Remy with efficient grace as he added with an impish grin, "Might scare someone with hair, though."

Logan smirked and reached for the hot sauce. "I never said I'd be shavin' off hair."

Sal blinked and then laughed, looking pained. "Ow."

Remy snickered, dipping a spoon into the creamy chicken stew as he added, "An' Logan, he don' use clippers."

"Right," Sal said, grinning as he moved to the stove with his own bowl to fill it. "Note to self: never try to shave Logan."

"Smart plan, lizard boy," Logan said dryly. "Some things don't grow back, even for a salamander."

 

 

~*~

 

Remy followed Logan through the door out onto the roof, tired and bemused. “Y’ never did tell Remy why we goin’ up here, _cheri_.”

Logan towed Remy around the enclosed stairwell and then stopped, turning to face Remy as he pulled him closer, grinning. “’Cause it’s a shame t’ be here so close to dawn an’ not watch the sun rise over the river.”

Remy smiled, sliding his arms around Logan. “I t’ink dat someone be a closet romantic.”

Logan smirked. “Nah.” He lifted his arms and slid his fingers into Remy’s shaggy hair as he added softly, “Never been one for closets.”

Remy laughed softly. “Not gon’ deny de romantic part, eh?”

“Romance has it’s place,” Logan murmured, still smirking as he tugged Remy down for a kiss, and Remy was chuckling softly as their lips met.

Logan had brought Remy to the rooftop instead of walking to the riverbank for the simple reason it was much quieter on the roof, and much more private. The were few sounds that were plain up there on the roof even to Logan’s keen ears, mainly the sound of low foghorns that drifted up from the river, where two barges were making their slow way upriver. The sounds of the city streets at dawn were a dozen stories below them, muffled to a low hum that was drowned out almost completely by the hum of the central air conditioning units on the far side of the stairwell.

The roof was as quiet as anywhere in the city could be, and they both enjoyed the relative privacy offered by the secluded rooftop. Neither of them was in a hurry to end their kiss, and they lingered for quite a while as the sky slowly brightened in the east. The entire sky was noticeably lighter when they finally parted, and Logan smiled softly at Remy as he murmured, “You’re gonna have to kick me, next time I’m so damned stupid.”

Remy laughed, teasing just as softly, “Be glad to, _cheri_ , jus’ as soon as y’ tell me how you been stupid dis time so I know what t’ be watchin’ for.”

Logan’s smile grew crooked. “Ignorin’ all the invitations you sent my way ‘cause I figured I couldn’t be so lucky. We got a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“Makin’ up for los’ time soun’ like fun t’ me,” Remy replied, his eyes sparkling merrily with restrained mirth. “An’ as for de bein’ lucky t’ing, Remy t’ink he got you beat.”

“Not even,” Logan disagreed, chuckling. “Windin’ up in my bed’ll be more trouble than it’s worth sometimes, Cajun. The wolverine that shares my head can be a sneaky son of a bitch and sometimes I don’t realize I’m actin’ like an ass.”

Remy smirked. “Hell, Remy done known dat for years, cheri. Havin’ you be wort’ havin’ de wolverine a hun’erd time over. Dere ain’t a t’ing dat it could make y’ do dat I cain’ forgive.”

Logan stared for a moment, surprised and kind of awed that he smelled no hint of a lie attached to that statement, then he said slowly, “I hope I never make you regret sayin’ that, babe.”

Remy smiled. “Dere ain’ no way dat you could.”

“I…  Wow.” Logan just stared some more, at a loss for words.

Remy grinned impishly. “Dis be one for de record books. Never thought I’d see de day _you_ be speechless.”

Logan laughed slightly. “Don’t happen often, that’s for sure.” He grinned, tangling his fingers in Remy’s hair just enough to pull a little, which drew a low noise from Remy as he murmured, “I might not have the words, but I can sure show you what that means to me.”

“Mmm, I like de soun’ of dat,” Remy murmured, pulling just a bit against Logan’s grip in his hair. “I be t’inkin’ it time to head for bed, _bien-aime_.”

“Works for me,” Logan agreed, pulling Remy down for another hungry, demanding kiss. He released Remy a few moments later and then headed for the door to the stairwell, sure Remy would be right behind him.

Remy followed quickly, smirking. Logan had forgotten all about wanting to watch the sun rise, which suited Remy just fine. He never watched the sun rise if he could avoid it, preferring to be in bed at that time of day.

Mornings were vastly overrated as far as Remy was concerned, and he did his best to sleep through them as often as possible.

 

 ~ End

 


End file.
